LISTENING to some of the attacks on Mr Justice Alan Mahon over his handling of Tom Gilmartin reminds me of the story of Friedrich Riesfeldt, 46, of Paderborn, Germany, a highly conscientious zookeeper who cared passionately about his animals.

Con Brosnan, a Free State officer, managed to get safe passage guarantees for republican players like John Joe Sheehy and Joe Barrett to play games, and they used football to overcome some of the bitterness.

Of course, the events of either of those earlier decades have little to do with the present, but it worth remembering that the only other head of government to enter 10 years of continuous service is Bertie Ahern. By contrast, his 10 years as Taoiseach have been spectacularly staid.

Today, most of the Green deputies probably wish to form a coalition with Fianna Fáil now — but they will need the support of a two-thirds majority of the party membership in conference.

McDowell talked emotively about his love of country, which he had demonstrated by his involvement in politics at considerable cost to himself.

Distortion ... may have had very little impact on voters on this occasion, but such behaviour does pose a fundamental threat to democracy, because any leader who seeks to lead by misleading is not fit to lead.

Only one of the country’s 37 public hospitals has a proper stroke unit, even though stroke is the third highest killer in this country.

After it was disclosed that Ben Dunne had paid for renovations to Michael Lowry’s house, Bertie said the “first duty of any minister is to the public whom he has been appointed to serve.

VINCENT BROWNE’S questioning of the Taoiseach at the launch of the Fianna Fáil manifesto on Thursday was riveting. Bertie Ahern was refusing to answer questions about the £30,000 he got from his friend Michael Wall in December 1994.

Garda Fallon’s family and the public have been denied access to the files on his murder.